McTeigue discusses actor swap in Vendetta

Those of you who are familiar with theV for Vendetta
film have no doubt long been aware that Hugo Weaving was not the
first choice for the masked character of V. In fact, not only was another actor, James Purefoy, first tapped for the part, but he also made it about
three weeks into shooting before the part was turned over to Weaving. Yesterday, director James McTeigue discussed the impact of this shift on the filming
process.

Mcteigue first noted that the magnitude of the situation has been overestimated. Yes, shooting had
been going on for nearly a month - but not everything that was shot involved Purefoy's character. Because of this, very
little of Purefoy's work actually made the final cut of the film. Mcteigue echoed the reasons Purefoy gave for the
actor's departure, indicating that the man simply was not comfortable with his ability to act behind a mask. Mcteigue
explained "It was hard for him to make peace with the mask." He went on to praise Weaving's transition into
the role, saying that he was a fantastic fit. Of Weaving's ability, McTeigue said "[he] knew what was capable in
the mask. I think it was a really intelligent, fearless decision that he made just to trust it." The director
credited Weaving's abilities as a "complete actor" as the primary reason he was able to bring life to a
character with no facial expression.

You know, I'm finally beginning to get excited for this film. I don't
doubt Weaving's acting ability - I think it'll be fantastic to see how he brings life to the character of V. Here's to
hoping McTeigue's directorial debut is a good one.